


Leave This Behind

by scatter



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Established Relationship, Family, M/M, Meeting the Parents, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-23
Updated: 2011-04-23
Packaged: 2017-10-18 13:14:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/189244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scatter/pseuds/scatter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yosuke meets Souji's parents just once. It's enough.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leave This Behind

Not a month after Souji leaves, Yosuke visits him in the city for Golden Week. Souji plans to go back to Inaba for the holiday so there's really no reason but this way Yosuke gets an extra day with him, just the two of them.

Souji picks him up at the train station and they stay in a restroom stall kissing and touching and whispering how much they missed each other until someone bangs on the door and threatens to get an employee to unlock it. On the bus ride to his apartment, Souji pulls his hand onto his lap and holds it with both of his like he's afraid it'll disappear. If it gets them weird looks, Yosuke doesn't notice, caught up in staring in Souji, getting his fill of seeing him again. It wasn't until Souji was gone that he realized how often he checked to make sure his partner was there and finding the space beside him empty has thrown Yosuke off more than once lately.

"How's Inaba?" Souji asks.

"Fine." Yosuke tries to think of something about town that he hasn’t already mentioned. Whenever he calls, Souji wants to know everything that's happening, drinks up every detail. "Naoki's in Kashiwagi's class."

"That's awful; she'll try and eat him alive." The bus hits a bump. Souji falls against Yosuke and stays there until they reach their stop.

"My parents won't be back in until late," Souji says as he unlocks the door. "They want to meet you, though, so the plan is to have dinner together. I hope you don't mind."

The idea is nerve-wracking. "That'll be cool."

"I'll try to keep it short."

The Seta apartment is modern and clean, the furniture black and white, and it's set high up enough that they get a great view of the cityscape. One of the walls is almost completely made up of windows, and immediately Yosuke's uncomfortable and worrying about getting something dirty. He half-expects to see a cat sitting smugly on the couch and judging him.

Souji leads him to his room and it's better, a little like his old one at Inaba with stacks of CDs and magazines and books, and Yosuke's able to relax in it. The picture they all took together is on his desk and seeing it makes Yosuke realize he hasn't seen a single photo in the rest of the house. There's a note on his door, a heavy sheet of paper taped up: _Don't lock your door._

"What's that about?"

"My mom put it there. Ignore it. How did Nanako like the trip to Junes last week?"

"Great. I'm thinking of working with Dad, asking him to arrange some kid work program thing or whatever so Nanako can do more there."

"She'll take his job by the time she's twenty," Souji says.

"Probably. Hey, where's the bathroom?"

Souji shows him. "It's mine so make yourself at home."

Yosuke snoops after taking care of business, opens drawers and pushes the contents around. There are pills in Souji's medicine cabinet. A lot of them, all prescription, all with his name on the labels, and next to the mirror is a tiny schedule written out in someone else's handwriting.

He pulls out a bottle at random and doesn't recognize the name of what's inside. The door opens and Souji comes behind him, drops his chin on his shoulder.

"Oh, you found them. I meant to throw them out before you got here."

"What's up, are you sick?" The only thing that Yosuke can imagine needing so many pills is a horrible, life-threatening illness. "Did something happen and you're not telling me?"

"No, it's nothing to worry about. My parents got them for me. I'll tell you now before they get there: they think something's wrong with me. Up…" He taps a finger against his head.

"That's shit," Yosuke says immediately.

"That's what I think too, but they're convinced of it. A while back they took me from doctor to doctor until someone told them what they wanted to hear and now I'm supposed to take these. I haven't, though, not since before I came to Inaba."

"What are they supposed to do?"

"Straighten me out somehow, I don't exactly remember. This one only makes me nauseous. I puke all day. That one knocks me out. That one over there…" Souji pulls down a bottle that looks like it's never been opened. "I only took it once because it made me so horny I couldn't concentrate. Want to try it out?"

Yosuke tries to take it from him. "Don't screw around with your medicine."

"Just once and then I'll toss them all." Souji swallows one dry before he can stop him and kisses his ear. "I missed you."

"Changing the subject." He kisses him back and remembers the sign. "Want to lock your door?"

Souji does with a smile and Yosuke pushes him up against it, can tell the exact moment the drug starts to kick in because Souji grabs at him harder and shakes his head like he can't clear it. He finds the condom in Yosuke's back pocket and they spend the next hour having the weirdest, most intense sex they've ever had, and Souji's so insatiable it almost scares Yosuke.

He aches afterwards, doesn't even want to think about his dick. "That was a stupid idea," he says. "I'm throwing those pills away."

"Okay." Souji's taking a lot of deep breath as he recovers but his eyes aren't dilated anymore and Yosuke takes that as a good sign. "That's probably for the best. I think I blacked out in the middle."

"I was awesome during that part, trust me." Yosuke know he's not supposed to get rid of them this way but once he crawls out of Souji's futon, he flushes all the pills down the toilet. "You hungry?"

"Starving. Bring me something."

"Like what?"

"You." Souji eyes him. "Come here?"

"No, get some rest."

"Not even if I suck you off?"

Yosuke's dick throbs at the thought and not in a good way. "Later."

The fridge is stainless steel and all the food is meticulously sorted. There's a note in there too: _Check the dates_. Yosuke doesn't know how anyone could miss them. The expiration dates of everything are written in large, black marker, as are the dates everything was bought, and nothing's more than a few days old. One of the vegetable drawers has a lock on it and there's a piece of paper inside: _Not yours_. He doesn't spot any leftovers and end up making a sandwich that he cuts in half.

By this point he's not surprised to see a note in the knife drawer: _Put these right back._

Souji comes into the kitchen on unsteady legs and wearing his shirt. "Stole your clothes. Can I keep this?"

"Sure. You play with knives?"

"No." Souji sits at the bar area and looks hopefully at the sandwich. "For me?"

Yosuke pushes it his way, and Souji kisses his fingers before he draws them back. "There's a note."

"There's a note on everything. Check the herb garden."

Yosuke hadn't noticed the little pots on the counter until then, and he's thrown off by the splash of color. The note says, absurdly, _Don't eat these._

"They're herbs," he says. "You're supposed to eat them. Otherwise, why the hell would you have them?"

"I think they meant the dirt."

Yosuke plucks a few leaves off one plant and chews on them. Parsley, he guesses. "Tell me they put these notes away when company comes over."

"They put the notes away when company comes over," Souji says before taking a bite of his food and laying his head down.

Yosuke can't tell if he's saying it just to humor him or not then realizes he's here and they're still out. It annoys him and he thinks about tearing one in half. "Come on, partner, let's get you to bed."

"You're coming with me?"

"Yeah, I need to lie down too."

He gets Souji off one more time under the covers because the pill's still making him hard and then he's wound down enough for them to go to sleep. Holding Souji close feels like one of the few things that are right in the apartment, as though Souji's room and everything they're doing inside of it are the only things with any substance, and by the way Souji's clinging to him he wonders if he feels it too.

He's woken up by the doorknob jiggling and the door being opened.

"Souji, why was your door locked? You know—oh." It's Souji's mom, a key in one hand and the other on the doorknob. She looks from Souji to Yosuke, and Yosuke's glad the covers are pulled up high.

He realizes Souji's awake when he feels a hand wrap stealthily around his dick, and turns to see Souji staring evenly at his mother.

"Is it time for dinner?" He squeezes. Yosuke considers discreetly kicking him.

"Yes. I got it ready since you didn't." She bites the side of her mouth, takes a step back. "Get cleaned up."

"She usually knocks," Souji says when the door closes behind her. "Sorry about that."

"Can I have my dick back?"

Souji hums and spends a minute stroking him. "Okay. For now."

He changes into a fresh outfit, one that Yosuke thinks is too formal for a late dinner with his parents, and offers Yosuke a change as well.

"Won't that make them uncomfortable, me showing up in your shirt?"

"Maybe." Souji holds it out to him and Yosuke takes it because his stuff is wrinkled anyway. "Can I introduce you as my boyfriend?"

Yosuke grins a little at that. "Knock yourself out."

Mr. and Mrs. Seta are in the kitchen, the dinner table already set with four plates full of food, and their conversation falters and dies when they see them. Both of them are dark-haired and serious looking, and his mother resembles Dojima-san only vaguely. They frown at Yosuke's clothing and Souji's mother gives his father a significant look. Yosuke wonders if she told him what she saw and if she spotted his pants under Souji's desk.

"Mom, Dad," Souji says, placing a hand on the small of his back, "this is Yosuke, my boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you." Standing in front of them, he's more nervous than he expected to be. They nod, neither offering their names or hands, and when it becomes clear they're not going to Souji guides him to the table.

"Let's eat then."

Yosuke almost expects to see a note near the chopsticks: _Hold these correctly_ or maybe _Keep these away from your eyes_. There isn't but Souji catches his eye and looks like he knows what he's thinking.

He starts eating when Souji does and waits for someone to say something or ask him a question, but no one speaks. It's silent besides their chopstick clicking and their glasses clinking as they're set down, and it isn't long before that starts to get under his skin.

Finally, Souji says, "I know we don't usually talk during the beginning of dinner but Yosuke's not used to it. Isn't it rude to make him uncomfortable?"

"He's right," Souji's father says. Yosuke doesn't see much of Souji him. "Sorry, but it's hard to break a habit. Why don't you tell me how you two met?"

Yosuke's about to mention school when Souji knocks their feet together. "I got stuck in a trashcan and he fished me out."

Souji lowers his head but Yosuke still sees his smile.

His parents give each other another look. "You weren't hurt, I hope," his mother says.

"I was okay."

"Souji says you're also from the city. How long have you been in Inaba then?"

"I got there a couple of months before Souji. My dad's the manager of Junes and we moved because of his job."

"Ah, Junes," his father says. "Souji tells us that Nanako-chan loves it there. We've got a few here but I suppose in a town of Inaba's size it must be something worth talking about."

It goes on like that for a while longer, them asking about his job and schooling, what he does for fun and what he plans to do after high school. They switch between topics oddly with no warning, and Yosuke gets the impression that they're searching for something but he can't figure out what. Souji must have picked up on it too; his smile slips and he stops eating entirely, elbow on the table and head tilted like he can hear the words better that way.

"There's nothing wrong with Yosuke," he says abruptly, and the conversation cuts off. Everyone stares at him.

After a moment of absolute silence, his mother says softly, "Neither of us said there was, Souji."

"But you're waiting for him to say something that'll let you think there is. There must be, right? After all, he's dating me." Souji sets his chopsticks down. Yosuke does the same.

His father sighs and starts to drum his fingers on the table. "Don't be ridiculous."

"It's not ridiculous," Souji says, "and it's one thing to think that about me but Yosuke's different."

"I'm sure he is," his father says, and his tone makes Souji's back straighten.

His mother turns her attention to Yosuke. "You have to understand, Souji's a little sensitive, and since coming back from Inaba he's been touchier than usual. We really don't think—I'm sure you're perfect for him—"

Souji's eyes are hard. "Yosuke's—"

"Souji's great," Yosuke says, and Souji stops, doesn't look at him. "He's amazing, the best friend I've ever had, and he doesn't need those notes or those pills."

Souji's father smiles and it's not nice. "I'm glad you know my son so well."

"I spent a whole year beside him. We've been through a hell of a lot together. There's nothing wrong with Souji," Yosuke says firmly, and Souji stares at him like he can't believe what he's hearing.

Souji's mother sets her chopsticks down carefully and folds her hands on her lap. "I've lost my appetite."

"Me too." Souji stands. "Yosuke?"

"I'm done." He stands as well, looks at Souji's parents. "Thank you for having me."

He hears Souji's father start talking about 'that boy' as they leave, but Souji's door closing cuts off the rest and then Souji's wrapped around him, eyes closed, nose to his neck, breathing deep.

"I'm sorry about that."

"I'm not sure I like your parents, partner."

"Ah, you should have called me that in front of them. No, wait, I'm glad you didn't." Souji nuzzles him. "Lock the door, you do it this time."

Yosuke thinks he should shower but showering means going out of the room so he'll just wait until he gets home tomorrow. Under Souji's covers, they lay back and make plans.

"If I can convince Dojima-san to let me stay, maybe I can get him to convince them to let me transfer school again."

"You could stay at my place. Ted's in the TV most of the time so the spare room is free."

"They'd be glad to get rid of me," Souji says, and Yosuke runs a hand through his hair for lack of any reply to that. "That's fine. I'd rather be at home in Inaba."

"We'll figure it out," Yosuke says.

"Yeah." Souji's hand dips below his waist. "I'm taking your dick back now."

"What, seriously? Dude, I can't come anymore."

Souji smiles like that's a challenge.

They're catching the earliest train back, and when they get ready to leave in the morning, Souji's parents are still asleep in their room. Souji pulls down the note on his door and goes around gathering the others, tearing them neatly in half and stacking them on the counter.

Yosuke watches him from near the front door, their bags at his feet. The group photo is packed in Souji's and so is the shirt Yosuke wore the day before. "Ready? We don't want to be late."

"Wait, one more thing." Souji grabs a marker and sheet of paper, writes something on it. "Good?"

Yosuke comes closer and looks over his shoulder. "Ha, great. Now let's get out of here."

"You know," Souji says, grabbing his bag, "I'm never going to look at an expiration date again."

"Okay, I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

They leave the paper on the counter for Souji's parents to find its message later:

 _Don't follow me._


End file.
